ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEDIEVAL GERMANY there lived a monk who was poor, ugly and fat, and who had a red nose and ears like beet roots. The man was so alone that his only company was a dog that lived in a stable outside the village. And he often walked through the village, and was known as Jealous-Thomas, yet no one knew whether it was his real name.
The man used to walk in the village and take special notice of the belongings of others. He knew very well who had a fortune and who not, and who had inherited it or lost it. And he also paid special attention to the village’s gossip, taking note of all the successes and mishaps of others. He would meet the villagers underway and talk to each other separately, trying to learn as much as possible and pretending that he was either happy for them or caring about them. Yet when he found himself outside the Church, he gave no one charity.
One day that the monk was walking through the forest, a hideous snake appeared in front of him. As soon as the monk’s dog saw it, it tried to bark to scare it away, yet the snake addressed the monk, telling him:
“I know you want what others have. All those you never had yourself”.
The monk was at a loss. He tried to turn away and leave, yet the very last moment he turned around and looked at the snake again. It then told him: “You don’t have to become anything more than what you already are. Just follow your dog and he will lead you to your fortune”.
The snake then climbed down the tree and sneaked inside a hole in the ground. The dog ran to the forest. As the monk was slow, however, he was soon lost in the mist, unable to see where he went. When at some point the mist finally dissolved, he discovered a chest in front of him that was filled with golden coins and the dog digging them.
The monk took as many golden coins he could and took them back to his stables. Using the coins, he bought beautiful clothes, dressing himself like an aristocrat and throwing his old, torn robe away. After that he bought a white horse and a cap to hide his ugly ears, then rode to the village so as to be seen. Yet the villagers didn’t realize who he was, and so didn’t get into the trouble of greeting him.
Dissatisfied with their lack of attention, he rode to the city again, this time on a magnificent carriage which he bought again with the coins from the chest. No matter his hopes that the villagers would recognize him, he failed to get what he wanted one more time, disappointedly returning to the stables.
The third day, he rode to the city again. This time, however, he bought ten horses to pull the carriage and rented a driver. He bought even more expensive clothes, even going so far as to buy a magnificent wig to hide his ugly ears and a corset to make him look thinner. To make sure he would be noticed this time, he even paid musicians with trumpets and guitars to accompany him as he rode around the streets of the city.
The villagers were left speechless by the sight and asked to know what this mysterious aristocrat was doing in their humble village. A huge crowd of children then gathered in the streets to observe he unbelievable sight. Every time the carriage stopped, Jealous-Thomas would step down and greet the same people who previously knew them as a poor monk, with the hope that they would recognize him and get jealous of him. Yet no one remembered him.
He then thought of a plan: he would ride to the city square, then address the villagers and explain to them that he was the monk they knew, who had gotten very wealthy and whose fate had changed drastically. So it happened. He parked his carriage and the middle of the city square, then told the villagers:
“You all know me. I’m Thomas the monk. All these years I have seen you get wealthy and pay me little attention. Yet my fate has changed, and now I am rich. Look how beautiful the carriage I ride is”.
The villagers, however, found it hard to believe the foreigner and his good luck. A young kid then stepped out of the crowd, innocently telling him:
“You are not Jealous-Thomas, as Jealous-Thomas is fat and has red ears like beet roots. You are just a foreigner with money”.
The then got mad. To prove everybody that he was indeed the monk they knew, he removed the corset, leaving his belly free. After throwing the wig away as well, he exclaimed with a loud voice:
“See now. I’m the Thomas you all know. There can be no doubt”.
The villagers then recognized him, and as a result, burst into laughter with the weird sight of a man so jealous of others to the point of using a corset and a wig to hide his flaws. He, on the other hand, burst into tears in the middle of the city square, staying there until the last villager had gone and the dark of the night had kicked in.
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